[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 23 (Monday, February 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H1278-H1280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   RULES AND PROCEDURE FOR THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET FOR THE 104TH 
                                CONGRESS

  (Mr. KASICH asked and was given permission to extend his remarks at 
this point in the Record and to include extraneous matter.)
  Mr. KASICH. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2 of rule XI of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, I am pleased to submit the Rules of 
the Committee on the Budget for the 104th Congress and ask that they be 
printed in the Congressional Record. These rules were adopted by the 
committee in open session on January 6, 1995.
                  Rules of the Committee on the Budget


                                meetings

                        Rule 1--Regular meetings

       The regular meeting day of the committee shall be the 
     second Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m., while the House is 
     in session.
       The chairman is authorized to dispense with a regular 
     meeting when he determines there is no business to be 
     considered by the committee, provided that he gives written 
     notice to that effect to each member of the committee as far 
     in advance of the regular meeting day as the circumstances 
     permit.
       Regular meetings shall be canceled when they conflict with 
     meetings of either party's caucus or conference.
                Rule 2--Additional and special meetings

       The chairman may call and convene additional meetings of 
     the committee as he considers necessary, or special meetings 
     at the request of a majority of the member of the committee 
     in accordance with House Rule XI, clause 2(c).
       In the absence of exceptional circumstances, the chairman 
     shall provide written or verbal notice of additional meetings 
     to the office of each member at least 24 hours in advance 
     while Congress is in session, and at least 3 days in advance 
     when Congress is not in session.

                     Rule 3--Open business meetings

       Each meeting for the transaction of committee business, 
     including the markup of measures, shall be open to the public 
     except when the committee, in open session and with a quorum 
     present, determines by rollcall vote that all or part of the 
     remainder of the meeting on that day shall be closed to the 
     public in accordance with House Rule XI, clause 2 (g)(1). No 
     person other than members of the committee and such 
     congressional staff and departmental representatives as they 
     may authorize shall be present at any business or markup 
     session which has been closed to the public. This rule shall 
     not apply to any meeting that relates solely to matters 
     concerning the internal administration of the committee.

                            Rule 4--Quorums

       A majority of the committee shall constitute a quorum. No 
     business shall be transacted and no measure or recommendation 
     shall be reported unless a quorum is actually present.

                          Rule 5--Recognition

       Any member, when recognized by the Chairman, may address 
     the committee on any bill, motion, or other matter under 
     consideration before the committee. The time of such member 
     shall be limited to 5 minutes until all members present have 
     been afforded an opportunity to comment.
                   Rule 6--Consideration of business

       Measures or matters may be placed before the committee, for 
     its consideration, by the chairman or by a majority vote of 
     the members of the committee, a quorum being present.

        Rule 7--Procedure for consideration of budget resolution

       It shall be the policy of the committee that the starting 
     point for any deliberations on a concurrent resolution on the 
     budget should be the estimated or actual levels for the 
     fiscal year preceding the budget year.
       In developing a concurrent resolution on the budget, the 
     committee shall first proceed, unless otherwise determined by 
     the committee, to consider budget aggregates, functional 
     categories, and other appropriate matters on a tentative 
     basis, with the document before the committee open to 
     amendment; subsequent amendments may be offered to 
     aggregates, functional categories, or 
     [[Page H1279]] other appropriate matters which have already 
     been amended in their entirety.
       Following adoption of the aggregates, functional 
     categories, and other matters, the text of a concurrent 
     resolution on the budget incorporating such aggregates, 
     functional categories, and other appropriate matters shall be 
     considered for amendment and a final vote.

                         Rule 8--Rollcall votes

       A rollcall of the members may be had upon the request of at 
     least one-fifth of those present. In the apparent absence of 
     a quorum, a rollcall may be had on the request of any member.

 Rule 9--Parliamentarian's Status Report and Section 302 Status Report

       (a) In order to carry out its duty under section 311 of the 
     Congressional Budget Act to advise the House of 
     Representatives as to the current level of spending and 
     revenues as compared to the levels set forth in the latest 
     agreed-upon concurrent resolution on the budget, the 
     committee shall advise the Speaker on at least a monthly 
     basis when the House is in session as to its estimate of the 
     current level of spending and revenue. Such estimates shall 
     be prepared by the staff of the committee, transmitted to the 
     Speaker in the form of a Parliamentarian's Status Report, and 
     printed in the Congressional Record.
       The committee authorizes the chairman, in consultation with 
     the ranking minority member, to transmit to the Speaker the 
     Parliamentarian's Status Report described above.
       (b) In order to carry out its duty under section 302 of the 
     Congressional Budget Act to advise the House of 
     Representatives as to the current level of spending within 
     the jurisdiction of committees as compared to the appropriate 
     allocations made pursuant to the Budget Act in conformity 
     with the latest agreed-upon concurrent resolution on the 
     budget, the committee shall, as necessary, advise the Speaker 
     as to its estimate of the current level of spending within 
     the jurisdiction of appropriate committees. Such estimates 
     shall be prepared by the staff of the committee and 
     transmitted to the Speaker in the form of a Section 302 
     Status Report.
       The committee authorizes the chairman, in consultation with 
     the ranking minority member, to transmit to the Speaker the 
     Section 302 Status Report described above.
                                hearings

                   Rule 10--Announcement of hearings

       The chairman shall publicly announce the date, place, and 
     subject matter of any committee hearing at least 1 week 
     before the commencement of that hearing, unless he determines 
     there is good cause to begin such hearing at an earlier date, 
     in which case public announcement shall be made at the 
     earliest possible date.

                         Rule 11--Open hearings

       Each hearing conducted by the committee or any of its task 
     forces shall be open to the public except when the committee 
     or task force, in open session and with a quorum present, 
     determines by rollcall vote that all or part of the remainder 
     of that hearing on that day shall be closed to the public 
     because disclosure of testimony, evidence, or other matters 
     to be considered would endanger the national security, or 
     would compromise sensitive law enforcement information, or 
     would tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person, or 
     would violate any law or rule of the House of 
     Representatives. The committee or task forces may by the same 
     procedure vote to close one subsequent day of hearing.
       For the purposes of House Rule XI, clause 2(g)(2), the task 
     forces of the committee are considered to be subcommittees.

                           Rule 12--Quorums*

       For the purpose of hearing testimony, not less than two 
     members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

                Rule 13--Time for questioning witnesses

       Committee members shall have not to exceed 5 minutes to 
     interrogate each witness until such time as each member who 
     so desires has had an opportunity to interrogate such 
     witness.
       After all members have had an opportunity to ask questions, 
     the round shall begin again under the 5-minute rule.
       In questioning witnesses under the 5-minute rule, the 
     chairman and the ranking minority member may be recognized 
     first, after which members may be recognized in the order of 
     their arrival at the hearing. Among the members present at 
     the time the hearing is called to order, seniority shall be 
     recognized. In recognizing members to question witnesses, the 
     chairman may take into consideration the ratio of majority 
     members to minority members and the number of majority and 
     minority members present and shall apportion the recognition 
     for questioning in such a manner as not to disadvantage the 
     members of the majority.

                      Rule 14--Subpoenas and oaths

       In accordance with House Rule XI, clause 2(m) subpoenas 
     authorized by a majority of the committee may be issued over 
     the signature of the chairman or of any member of the 
     committee designated by him, and may be served by any person 
     designated by the chairman or such member.
       The chairman, or any member of the committee designated by 
     the chairman, may administer oaths to witnesses.
                     Rule 15--Witnesses' statements

       So far as practicable, any prepared statement to be 
     presented by a witness shall be submitted to the committee at 
     least 48 hours in advance of presentation, and shall be 
     distributed to all members of the committee in advance of 
     presentation.

                       Rule 16--Committee prints

       All committee prints and other materials prepared for 
     public distribution shall be approved by the committee prior 
     to any distribution, unless such print or other material 
     shows clearly on its face that it has not been approved by 
     the committee.


                              broadcasting

             Rule 17--Broadcasting of meeting and hearings

       It shall be the policy of the committee to give all news 
     media access to open hearings of the committee, subject to 
     the requirements and limitations set forth in House Rule XI, 
     clause 3. Whenever any committee business meeting is open to 
     the public, that meeting may be covered, in whole or in part, 
     by television broadcast, radio broadcast, and still 
     photography, or by any such methods of coverage, in 
     accordance with House Rule XI, clause 3.


                                 staff

                        Rule 18--Committee staff

       (a) Subject to approval by the committee, and to the 
     provisions of the following paragraphs, the professional and 
     clerical staff of the committee shall be appointed, and may 
     be removed, by the chairman.
       Committee staff shall not be assigned any duties other than 
     those pertaining to committee business, and shall be selected 
     without regard to race, creed, sex, or age, and solely on the 
     basis of fitness to perform the duties of their respective 
     positions.
       All committee staff shall be entitled to equitable 
     treatment, including comparable salaries, facilities, access 
     to official committee records, leave, and hours of work.
       (b) Associate staff for members of the committee may be 
     appointed only at the discretion of the chairman (in 
     consultation with the ranking minority member regarding any 
     minority party associate staff), after taking into 
     consideration any staff ceilings and budgetary constraints in 
     effect at the time, and any terms, limits, or conditions 
     established by the Committee on House Oversight under clause 
     6 of House Rule XI. Such staff members shall be compensated 
     at a rate, determined by the member, not to exceed $60,000 
     per year; provided, that no member shall appoint more than 
     one person pursuant to these provisions; provided further, 
     that members designating a staff member under this subsection 
     must certify by letter to the chairman that the employee is 
     needed and will be utilized for committee work and, to the 
     extent space is available, will spend no less than 10 hours 
     per week in committee offices performing committee work.
                       Rule 19--Staff supervision

       Staff shall be under the general supervision and direction 
     of the chairman, who shall establish and assign their duties 
     and responsibilities, delegate such authority as he deems 
     appropriate, fix and adjust staff salaries (in accordance 
     with House Rule XI, clause 6(c)) and job titles, and, in his 
     discretion, arrange for their specialized training.
       Staff assigned to the minority shall be under the general 
     supervision and direction of the minority members of the 
     committee, who may delegate such authority as they deem 
     appropriate.


                           committee records

       Rule 20--Preparation and maintenance of committee records

       An accurate stenographic record shall be made of all 
     hearings and business meetings.
       The proceedings of the committee shall be recorded in a 
     journal which shall, among other things, include a record of 
     the votes on any question on which a record vote is demanded.
       Members of the committee shall correct and return 
     transcripts of hearings as soon as practicable after receipt 
     thereof, except that any changes shall be limited to 
     technical, grammatical, and typographical corrections.
       Any witness may examine the transcript of his own testimony 
     and make grammatical, technical, and typographical 
     corrections.
       The chairman may order the printing of a hearing record 
     without the corrections of any member or witness if he 
     determines that such member or witness has been afforded a 
     reasonable time for correction, and that further delay would 
     seriously impede the committee's responsibility for meeting 
     its deadlines under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
       Transcripts of hearings and meetings may be printed if the 
     chairman decides it is appropriate, or if a majority of the 
     members so request.

                  Rule 21--Access to Committee Records

       (a) The chairman shall promulgate regulations to provide 
     for public inspection of rollcall votes and to provide access 
     by members to committee records (in accordance with House 
     Rule XI, clause 2(e)).
       Access to classified testimony and information shall be 
     limited to Members of Congress and to House Budget Committee 
     staff and stenographic reporters who have appropriate 
     security clearance.
       Notice of the receipt of such information shall be sent to 
     the committee members. Such information shall be kept in the 
     committee safe, and shall be available to members in the 
     committee office.
       [[Page H1280]] *(b) The records of the committee at the 
     National Archives and Records Administration shall be made 
     available for public use in accordance with Rule XXXVI of the 
     Rules of the House of Representatives. The chairman shall 
     notify the ranking minority member of any decision, pursuant 
     to clause 3(b)(3) or clause 4(b) of the rule, to withhold a 
     record otherwise available, and the matter shall be presented 
     to the committee for a determination on the written request 
     of any member of the committee.
                      applicability of house rules

                 Rule 22--Applicability of House Rules

       Except as otherwise specified herein, the Rules of the 
     House are the rules of the committee so far as applicable, 
     except that a motion to recess from day to day is a motion of 
     high privilege.


                               conferees

                   Rule 23--Appointment of conferees

       Majority party members recommended to the Speaker as 
     conferees shall be recommended by the chairman subject to the 
     approval of the majority party members of the committee. The 
     chairman shall recommend such minority party members as 
     conferees as shall be determined by the minority party, 
     provided that the recommended party representation shall be 
     in approximately the same proportion as that in the 
     committee.


                             miscellaneous

                            Rule 24--Waivers

       When a reported bill or joint resolution, conference 
     report, or anticipated floor amendment violates any provision 
     of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the chairman may, if 
     practical, consult with the committee members on whether the 
     chairman should recommend, in writing, that the Committee on 
     Rules report a special rule that enforces the act by not 
     waiving the applicable points of order during the 
     consideration of such measure.

                Rule 25--Report on the budget resolution

       The report of the committee to accompany a concurrent 
     budget resolution shall include a comparison of the estimated 
     or actual levels for the year preceding the budget year with 
     the proposed spending and revenue levels for the budget year 
     and each out year along with the appropriate percentage 
     increase or decrease for each budget function and aggregate. 
     The report shall include any rollcall vote on any motion to 
     amend or report any measure.

                           Rule 26--Oversight

       Not later than February 15 of the first session of a 
     Congress, the committee shall meet in open session, with a 
     quorum present, to adopt its oversight plans for that 
     Congress for submission to the Committee on House Oversight 
     and the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight in 
     accordance with the provisions of clause 2(d) of House Rule 
     X.

       * Written rule required by House Rules.
       

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